Current-distributer for internal-combustion engines



H. vD -w-ATE-mlous. CURRENT DISTRIBUTER FOR INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLIGATION4 FILED 'O01'.- 23, 1919..

Patented May 24,1921.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CURRENT-DISTRIBUTER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 23, 1919. Serial No. 332,748.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD D. WATER- rroUsE, a citizen of the United States, residing at `lVest Hartford, in the county of Hartfordand State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Current-Distributers for Internal-Combustion Engines,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of those devices which are provided for distributing electric current at the proper intervals to the spark plugs of the several cylinders of internal combustion engines, and more particularly such distributers as are `used on Ford automobiles.

lThe object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is simple and cheap to construct and that can be readily applied to the time shafts of Ford motors without any ychange in the present construction of the shafts and casings and which will obviate theuse of vibrating induction coils, eliminate electrical lag and render the timing and certainty of ignition uniform, and thusl raise the eiiiciency of ignition in the motors of these cars Vto that of the motors of more expensive makes of cars.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a central section of a device which embodies the invention. Fig. 2 shows a front elevation with a portion of the casing broken away. Fig. 3 shows a side elevation with a portion of the casing cut in section. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the operative parts of the device, the casing being omitted, with a diagrammatic representation of the electrical circuit in which it is used. Fig. 5 is a planl of the cam which causes the make and break of the primary induction circuit.

The device is designed to be slipped upon the regular motor time shaft by which it is supported. and operated close to the motor case, and to permit this it is provided with a metallic sleeve 1 having a key-way 2 adapted to slide upon and be keyed to the shaft in present use so as to rotate therewith.

The distributer casing, which does not rotate with the time shaftand sleeve,'com prises a shell of insulating material 3 with a metallic end plate 4 secured over the open end of the shell. The end plate has a hub 5 which forms a bearing on the sleeve at one end, and a metallic bushing 6 is inserted into the shell for providing a bearing on the sleeve at the other end, An eye 7 is formed in the shell for the connection of the end of the spark Aadvancing and retarding rod. Threaded binding posts 8 are secured in the annular rim of the shell at the Adesired localities. peripheral wall of the shell, and to their outer ends the circuit wires 9 leading to the several spark plugs 10 are connected. A threaded binding post 11 isy secured in the front of the shell post has a terminal 12 that extends to kthe inner face wall of the shell, and to its outer end the circuit wir@ 13 from the high tension secondary winding 14 of the induction coil 1s connected.

Over an opening'in the front of the shell is a cover 15 of insulation that is removably held in position by a leaf spring 16 which is designed to have its lower end thrust under a fixed loop 17 Vand its upper end undera loop 18 that can be swung onto oroff from the end of the cover holding spring. In the These posts extend to the inner Patented May 24, 1921.

near the lower edge. This t cover is a threaded binding post 19 with a terminal point 20 in the inside. To the outer end of this post a wire 21 from the low tension primary winding 22 of the induction coil is connected.

A conducting spring arm 23 is fastened at oneV end to the shell opposite the cover, preferably by two screws 24 with a tilting plate 25 between the arm and wall of the shell, so that by turning in and out the proper screws the eXact position of the free end ofthe arm may be determined. VA conducting spring finger 26 is fastened at one end to the free end of the spring arm. The tip of this finger is restricted in its outward movement by a stop 27 on the arm and it bears a contact point 28 which is `adapted to make and break connection with the point 2O of the primary circuit binding post 19 mounted on the cover. The spring arm is connected by a wire 30 with a ground or with the source of electric current, as generator 29, and the source of current connected by a wire 31 with an end of the primary induction coil winding. Fastened to the back of the free which are secured the block are two annular' plates 34 and 35 which are spaced a small distance apart. The outer plate 35 is slitted about its edge to form four segmental sections and each of these sections is carried inward in two steps toward the inner plate Se to which the inner ends of the segments are secured. This prtvides a cam havin@ four segmental planes 36 in the plane of theV outer plate, tour segmental planes 37 intermediate the inner' and outer plates, and tour segmental planes 38 to and are substantially in the plane of the inner plate. The elevations of these segmental planes are such that during the rotation of the time shalt, sleeve, block and these plates the toot 32 on the spring arm 23 will be pressed outward by the outer plane 36 sufficiently to put the spring arm under tension and cause the contact point 28 on the spring linger to engage with the YContact point 2O of the .binding screw 19 and close the primary circuit. The foot will then drop otif'lrom the end of the plane 36 into space and permitthe arm and linger to rapidly vibrate and thus open and close the primary circuit many times quickly. Themaljter allowing the required vibrations 'of Vthe spring arm to produce the desired makes and breaks in the primary circuit, the foot will rest against the intermediate plane 37 and hold the arm from vibration. .Finally the foot willrise on the following plane 36 and again place the rspring arm under tension and close the primary circuit preparatory to dropping oil the end oiC that plane and again permitting the to vibrate and open and close the primary circuit.

To cause the rotation of the. cam formed of these plates, -a spring plunger 39 is arranged in the block which is fixed to the sleeve, so that its outer end projects into an opening in the inner plate 3e. This opening in the inner plate is formed by punching a tongue 40 outward from the plate, which tongue is inclined over the end of the spring plunger. When the sleeveand block are rotating forwardly the spring plunger engages the wall of the opening in the inner plate and carries lthe cam plates with the block. It for any reason the sleeve andblock are rotated backward, the spring plunger rides under the inclined tongue on the inner plate and is pressed inward thereby so that the block will turn without carrying the lcam plates.

' yOn one face oi' the rotatory block is a .conducting ring l1 which at one locality has an outwardly extending finger i2 witha brush 43 that is bent raround the edge of the block into such position that asV the block rotates this brush passes close to .the ends .of the binding posts 8 to which the wires of the secondary circuit that lead to the spark plugsare connected.' This conductingring is also in Asuch a position that it is close'to ner/9,584

the end of the terminal 12 of the binding post 11 to which the secondary coil is connected.

lWith this device a very rapid vibration of the spring arm is produced at regular intervals for the purpose of opening and closing the primary circuit. This vibration is so timed that the current induced in the secondary circuit oi the induction coil is sent through the device to one orthe other of the spark plugs, depending-upon the position or the brush i3 oi the rotatable ring el which is in the secondary circuit. The structure bereadily slipped upon the shalt of the ordinary Ford motor and it is easily ad justed so that it will surely operate at the required moment to cause a shower of sparks tocross the terminals of the several spark plugs at the desired time to eii'ectthe ignition of the gas in the cylinders.

. The invention claimed is K l. A current distributor for internal combustionengines comprising a sleeve adapted to be secured to rotatory shaft, an insulating casing rotatably Ymounted on the sleeve, a binding post .with a conducting contact mounted on the casing, a resilient metallic arm with ene end secured tothe casing, Van insulating block secured to the sleeve, a cam connected with the block and adapted at intervals to place the .resilient arm .under tension and cause `the repeated engagement of A*the arm with the binding post contact, binding posts on the casing, and a conductor rotatable with the blockV and Vadapted to sequentially electrically communicate with the last mentioned binding posts.

2. A current distributerior internal combustion engines comprising a sleeve adapted 'sionV and cause the engagement of the contact on the spring finger with the binding vpost contact, binding posts on the casing, and a conductor rotatable with the block and adapted to sequentially electrically communiate with the last mentioned binding posts.

3. A current distributor Jfor internal combustion engines comprising a sleeve adapted to be secured to a rotatory shaft, an insulating casing rotatably mounted on the sleeve, a binding post with a lconducting Acontact mounted on the casing, a resilient arm with one end secured to the casing, a foot extendfrom the free end of said arm, a spring finger with y'one end `secured to the free end of said arm, an insulating block secured to vthe sleeve, a cam connected .with ythe block and adapted at intervals to engage said foot and place the spring arm under tension and cause the engagement of the spring finger thereon With the binding post contact, binding posts on the casing, and a conductor rotatable With the block and adapted to sequentially electrically communicate With the last mentioned binding posts.

4. A current distributer for internal combustion engines comprising a sleeve adapted to be secured to a rotatory shaft, an insulating casing rotatably mounted on the sleeve, a binding post with a conducting contact mounted on the casing, a spring arm having a conducting contact and secured to the casing by a tilting connection, an insulating block secured to the sleeve, a cam connected with the block and adapted at intervals to place the spring arm under tension and cause the engagement of the contact thereon with the binding post contact, binding posts on the casing, and a conductor rotatable With the block and adapted to sequentially electrically communicate with the last mentioned binding posts.

5. A current distributer for internal combustion engines comprising a sleeve adapted to be secured to a rotatory shaft, an insulating casing rotatably mounted on the sleeve, a binding postwith a conducting contact mounted on the casing, a spring arm with a conducting contact mounted on the casing, a foot extending from the free end of said arm, an insulating block secured to the sleeve, a cam connected With the block, said cam having steps in diilerent planes and adapted at intervals to engage said foot and cause the spring arm to vibrate and engage the contact thereon with the binding post contact and at intervals `retain the arm from vibration, binding posts on the casing, and a conductor rotatable with the block and adapted to sequentially electrically communicate with the last mentioned bind ing posts.

6. A current distributer for internal combustion engines comprising a sleeve adapted to be secured to a rotatory shaft, an insulating casing rotatably mounted on the sleeve, a binding post with a conducting Contact mounted on the casing, a spring arm with a conducting contact mounted on the casing, an insulating block secured to the sleeve, a cam loosely mounted on the sleeve, means connecting the cam and block so the cam Will rotate with the block in one direction only and at intervals place the spring arm under tension and cause the engagement of the contact thereon With the binding post contact, binding posts on the casing, and a conductor rotatable With the block and adapted to sequentially electrically communicate with the last mentioned binding posts.

7. A current distributer for internal combustion engines comprising a sleeve adapted to be secured to a rotatory shaft, an insulating casing rotatably mounted on the sleeve, a binding post With a conducting contact mounted on the casing, a spring arm with a conducting contact mounted on the casing, an insulating block secured to the sleeve, a cam rotatable in one direction only with the block and adapted at intervals to place the spring arm under tension and cause the engagement of the contact thereon With the binding post contact, means for preventing the cam from rotating reversely with the block, binding posts on the casing, and a conducting ring secured to the block, said ring having a brush that is adapted to sequentially electrically communicate With the last mentioned binding posts.

8. A current distributer for internal combustion engines comprising a sleeve adapted to be secured to a rotatory shaft, an insulating casing rotatably mounted on the sleeve, a cover detachably secured to the casing, a binding post With a conducting contact mounted on said cover, a spring arm with a conducting contact adjustably mounted on the casing inside of said cover, an insulating block secured to the sleeve, a cam connected with the block and adapted at intervals to place the spring arm under tension and cause the engagement of the contact thereon with the binding post contact, binding posts on the casing, and a conductor rotatable with the block and adapted to sequentially electrically communicate With the last mentioned binding posts.,

'HAROLD D. WATERHOUSE. 

